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The Simple Truth
The simple truth, and we hear it everywhere, is that eating better makes
us healthier. Unfortunately, for many of us, eating can be the hardest thing
to control. Our favorite tastes, our budgets, our busy schedules, and the
food choices we have to make every day can make it seem impossible to "eat
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Three Easy Steps to Start
Here are three simple things we can do to start eating better today:
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Set Our Own
Goals. Make a plan that works for us and
allow ourselves to be realistic when setting goals. If we try to reduce
the calories, fat, saturated fat, and sugar in our diet AND promise
to make a drastic change in our physical activity level, we may be
setting ourselves up to fail.
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TIP
Instead of trying
to make many big changes all at once, set smaller, more realistic
goals. Then, add a new challenge each week.
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| 2. |
Know What
We Eat? Conduct an inventory of our meal/snack
patterns. What we eat varies each day. One day we might be on track
and the next splurge on huge amounts of our favorite foods.
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TIP
Keep a food journal. Write down not
only what you eat, but where, when, and what you were feeling at the
time. After doing this for a week or so, you will see what triggers
hunger and what satisfies you.
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| 3. |
Give Yourself a Break.
Accept setbacks, but don't give up trying. All of us sometimes give
in to the temptations of our favorite, not-so-healthy foods. If
this happens to you, cut yourself some slack and move on. For example,
if you have a huge breakfast, just be conscious of eating an extra
healthy lunch and/or dinner. You don't have to "throw out"
the whole day for giving in to one temptation. Eat smaller portions
of the foods you love. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eat less
animal fats, salty or sugary snacks.
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TIP
In addition to eating extra healthy
the rest of the day, add in some extra physical activity to your day.
This can just be a brisk walk, bike ride or even yard work.
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Make It
Work for You
The good news is, like physical
activity, even the smallest good choices help make us healthier.
And, just like we wouldn't start an activity plan by running a 5k
run, there are ways we can "train" to start eating better.
Little things, like choosing non-fat milk over
whole milk or scrambling two egg
whites instead of using a whole egg, add up to bigger health benefits.
The idea
is, once we make little changes and see little successes, we'll
be encouraged to
make the bigger changes to see bigger rewards.
Be sure to visit Eat
Smart Move More NC to get tools and interactive plans that help
you and your family eat better!
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